Oatlands Bridge, Kempsford

This bridge is a monument to the canal's former presence near Kempsofrd village, as it is now infilled in both directions as far as the eye can see.

This is a standard Thames & Severn canal company designed brick-built accommodation bridge. The bricks are handmade and dark red colour and laid to a fairly irregular English Garden Wall bond. The bridge has a segmental arch springing from wedge-shaped stone springers and is protected by a simple projecting brick dripmould.

The wing walls are built with an inward ‘batter’ and curve outwards from the arch to end in pilaster terminals. The parapet brickwork is contiguous with that of the wing walls and spandrels rather than being of a separate construction. The parapet, which has been rebuilt, is level over the arch and then slopes gently down in a straight line on either side to the ends of the wing walls; it is topped by a plain concrete coping.